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'If it moves - eat it!'

'It it tastes good - eat it!

'The cost of seafood is very high - it must be good!'

These are the precepts of the people of the world, but God, the Creator of man, and all living things on the earth, disagrees with these ideas. He has other precepts for the maintenance of mankind's health.

As manufacturers supply instruction books for the maintenance of their products, so God, the Creator, provides an instruction book for the benefit of mankind, his health, his welfare and his life.

As one would never pour water into a car's fuel system instead of petrol, so we have definite instructions as to what we should consume for maximum performance of the human body.

The Bible sets out, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, the regulations for the distinctions of the foods we may consume, and these are designated as 'clean' and unclean'. Also, how the animals are to be killed, the disposal of their carcasses and the parts that may not be eaten, that is, the fat and the blood.

The Churches of God continually adhered to these food laws, and during the Spanish Inquisition a so-called heretic was detected by their obedience to these laws. Jews and Muslims were also included in this category and were slain.

Each of the injunctions in Leviticus and Deuteronomy is prefaced by the command to be holy and maintain a healthy body for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The paper The Food Laws (No. 15) covers the laws with a systematic analysis of each category in the light of scientific research, new and old. For example, the recommendations for prevention against heart disease and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, are that the fat be trimmed from all meat and never eaten.

Requirements of the laws for washing of persons contaminated by dead carcasses (either killed or from dying of natural causes) and the separation from the group, is standard quarantine procedure, as is the separation of persons with any contagious illness.

Clean meat is from the animal that has a parted (cloven) hoof and it must chew the cud, The animal family that chews the cud, but has no cloven hoof is unclean, as is any animal that does not chew the cud.

Swineflesh is prohibited in any presentation of food. The pig does not follow the rule of identification as a clean animal. It does have a cloven hoof, but it does not chew the cud (see March 23, 1985 Lancet for a published connection between the consumption of pork and cirrhosis of the liver).

The clean birds are of the family of chicken, turkey, pigeon and dove; such as have a crop. The duck, goose and swan are clean birds. Generally all birds of prey and carrion eaters (Lev. 11:13-20) are unclean.

It is becoming clearer in recent studies, that the transmission of viral diseases from unclean birds to clean birds has been the source of types of Asian 'flu. The full paper (No. 15) covers the disease types and their transmission to man by animal types and by individual animals. It also covers viruses by transmission through mosquitoes from infected animals to man.

In the fish category, the injunction is quite succinct and easily implemented. Leviticus 11:9 states 'these shall ye eat of all that are in the waters; whatsoever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.'

Now that more is known of the oceanic food chain and the incidence of heavy metals and pollutants in the oceans and waters, it is shown that the heavy metals accumulate in the aquatic organisms to begin with. As we reach the top of the food chain, the large carnivorous fish, the highest concentrations are found

The general observation is that the unclean species of the seafood, such as the molluscs and crustaceans is the first source of heavy metals, poisoning the food chain and are most susceptible to pollutants. In fact it is their job to clean the ocean and riverbeds. As a counter balance to this toxicity in their environment they have higher levels of other toxins, such as selenium and arsenic in their tissues and are thus unsuitable for human consumption, confirming the food laws of God. The clean fish on the other hand contain balanced levels of detoxifying agents, such as selenium and arsenic, which minimises the impact on the human species.

As a general rule, the clean species of fish do not have high levels of toxic substances. Only in the larger carnivorous species are these levels present, but with balancing chemicals, which limit the toxic effects on the human body. The smaller clean fish are clearly the most free from toxic substances and, therefore, the most advantageous to diet.

The food laws therefore are complex, but are verifiable rules for the human consumption of aquatic species. The important purpose of the unclean species lies not in their application to humans, but rather as a food source for the clean species and as an integral part of the environment. The filtration capacity of the shellfish and the food production capacity of the estuarine environment are in delicate balance. It must be protected. The maintenance of the food laws will ensure the balance is maintained. More importantly, it will ensure the environment is protected and kept clean, provided we control other pollutants. God gave us this planet to tend and to keep, not to destroy.